A Victory for Compassion: Tongan Caregiver Granted Temporary Visa After Intense Campaign
An Auckland family’s desperate fight to stop their aunt Loasi Latu from being deported has paid off.
The Tongan migrant, who overstayed her student visa in New Zealand by 20 years, has been granted a temporary five-year visa by Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk. This ministerial decision follows months of vigorous campaigning by family, friends, and community members to keep her in New Zealand so she could continue caring for her disabled brother.
The family received the news in an email late last night.
“I want to thank God,” Latu said. “Thank you to all my family and all the people who helped me.”
This intervention means Latu can continue to care for her brother Viliami Takapautolo, who is completely reliant on her. Viliami suffers from an intellectual disability, cannot speak or eat independently, and has seizures.
“I don’t think any words can express how I’m feeling right now,” said nephew Otako Kaufusi. “We’re grateful and just really tired, to be honest.”
Latu and her husband, who has also been living in the country without a visa, had been given until last Friday to leave voluntarily. Penk initially rejected their requests to intervene, which drew criticism from opponents and significant media attention. However, he told 1News in a statement today that he had received new information from a medical professional.
The family provided a letter from an Auckland doctor, warning that deporting Latu and placing Takapautolo into a residential facility could be life-threatening.
Latu’s niece Karina Kaufusi expressed the family’s relief. “They literally have saved my uncle’s life,” she said. “Over the past few weeks, it’s had a massive toll on my family, across three generations. Although it wasn’t the permanent residency we were hoping for, it does give us time to work with Immigration New Zealand and our lawyers to find a more long-term solution.”
She emphasized that the breakthrough was a result of collective effort. “We want to specifically thank and acknowledge those people who have helped our case,” she said. “Honourable Phil Twyford, Ricardo Menéndez March, Rachel Mason, and Juliette Strickett, who have been with us throughout this journey, as well as the Lane Neave Immigration team, our community leaders, the media, all the churches who have been praying for us, our family and friends, and we want to thank the honourable Chris Penk for taking the time to personally review our case.”
Karina highlighted that this case demonstrates the power of community and compassion. “It shows that when there is a case about just humanity and doing what’s right, people will support you and people will stand up,” she said.
This decision marks a significant step in the family’s ongoing struggle to secure permanent residency and underscores the importance of compassion in immigration policies.
